Draft and buffing mechanism for railway-cars.



P.S.GALLAGHER. DRAFT AND BUFPING MEGHANISM POR RAILWAY GARS.v APPLICATION FILED AUG.8, 1910. 1,070,446, Patented Aug.19,1913.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK S. GALLAGHER, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR T0 FORSYTI-I BROTHERS COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

DRAFT AND BUFFING MECHANISM FOR RAILWAY-CARS.

Application led August 8, 1910.

To all whom if may concern Be it known that I, FREDERICK S. GAL- LAGHER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Draft and Bufling Mechanism for Railway-Cars, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to draft and bufling mechanism for railway cars, and pertains more especially to that class or type of such devices which require a comparatively wide range of lateral or angular movement of such parts on account of short and sharp curves in t-he track.

Among the leading objects of the invention are to provide a mechanism capable of a wide range of angular movement, and at the same time readily capable of coupling on curved as well as straight tracks; to provide a mechanism in which the buffer-plates shall remain substantially parallel and in contact on curved as well as on straight tracks; to provide mechanism in which, when two cars are coupled, the buffer-plates are held in contact under pressure and to so arrange and combine the parts of the buffing mechanism and draft gear, that the spring cushion of the latter may be employed to assist in withstanding the bufng strains.

To these and other minor objects, which will be appa-rent from the following description, the invention consists in the matters hereinafter described and definitely pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, wherein there is shown a practical embodiment of the invention; Figure l is a plan view of the improved draft and bufng rigging, with so much of the under-frame and truck of a railway car as suflices t-o show the application of the draft and buiing mechanism thereto; Fig. 2 is a vertical cross sectional view on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through the car under-frame showing the draft and bufling rigging in side elevation.

Referring to the drawings, 15 designates the longitudinal sills and 16 an end sill of a car under-frame and 17 designates transverse I-beams forming hangers or carryirons for the buiing mechanisms. Some- Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 19,1913.

Serial No. 576,203.

what inwardly of the forward end of the car-frame is located the draft rigging, the same comprising in the simple form shown in the drawing, the usual stop castings 18, front and rear followers 19 and 20, one or more resistance springs 21, and the yoke 22, the forward end of which latter is pivotally connected as by a pivot-bolt 23, to the rear end of a draw-bar 24C, the latter being herein shown as of considerable length and preferably consisting of a plurality of se'ctions connected end to end. Preferably, and as herein shown, the draw-bar comprises at least two sections in end to end contact, as indicated at 24a in F ig.' 1,'this being for convenience and economy in removing either section, especially the forward one, when necessary by reason of injury or wear, without disturbing the other, as hereinafter more particularly referred to.

Secured to and embracing the outer portion of the draw-bar, slightly in the rear of the coupler head 25, is what I term the buffer-supporting frame, the same consisting preferably and as herein shown, of a pair of upper and lower castings 26 and 26a, united together and to the draw-bar by a series of vertical bolts or rivets 261u passing through said parts. The buffer-supporting frame has formed therein on either side pockets 27, (Fig. 2) designed to accommodate buffer-springs 28 said pockets being open on their outer sides to provide for the lateral insertion of the buffer-springs. 'Each of these springs is confined endwise between the inner end of the pocket and the followerplate 29, which latter is apertured for the passage therethrough of a thrust-rod 30, said rod being shouldered at 31 to abut against the outer face of the follower plate 29. The outer ends of the thrust-rod 31 rest in the sockets 32, formed on the rear face of an equalizer bar 33 that lies transversely of and between the upper and lower castings of the buffer-supporting frame, as best shown in Fig. 3. The ends of the equalizer bar are socketed on the opposite or front side of said bar to seat the inner ends of bufferstems 34, which latter are pivotally connected at their forward ends to the buffer-plate 35. Preferably, and as herein shown, the outer ends of the buffer-stems directly abut against the rear face of the buffer-plate and are attached in a pivotal manner by an apertured clamp 36 that embraces upper and lower' pintles 37 of the buifer-stems, and is screwed or. riveted to the rear face of the buifer-plate 35, as best shown in Fig. 1.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that the buiing mechanism is wholly carried by the draw-bar and, of course, partakes of the lateral or angular movements of the draw-bar in passing over curved tracks. It will also be seen that the buffer-plate 35 is capable of angular movement relatively to its end support, by reason of the pivoted buffer-stems 3i; and hence said buffer-plate is capablev of maintaining parallelism with a similar contact-plate on an adjacent car, irrespective of the degree or extent of swing of the buiing mechanism.

The mechanism above described, when connected or coupled with a similar mechanism on an adjacent car, swings freely sub stantially into the line of draft between the pivotal points of the respective draw-bars; and may be moved manually as by a rod, or by any suitable centering or controlling device, such as the truck-actuated connection' herein indicated as consisting of an eX- tensible connection 39 between the draw-bar and the opposite sides of the truck, the frame of which latter is indicated at 40 into suitable coupling position. It will be seen that, by reason of the fact that the buffersupporting frame is directly carried by the draw-bar rigidly connected thereto, the pressure between the buffer-plates of two coupled cars is prevented from decreasing under draft and may be maintained substantially constant whether the cars be at rest or under draft.

By reference to Fig. 2 it will be observed that the lower half of the buffer-supporting casting is downwardly off-set at its center to receive the draw-bar, whereby the lateral rigidity of the buffer casting relatively to the draw-bar is increased and does not depend entirely upon the fastening bolts or rivets. It will also be observed that the equalizer bar at its center overlies the draw bar.

It will be apparent from a consideration of the showing of this device in the drawings that the buffing strains are imposed not only upon the springs 2S but 'also upon the springs 2l of the draft gear or draft rigging, the strains being transmit-ted through the `draw-bar or coupler shank-extension 24 to the rearward springs. The springs of the buffer mechanism are practically in alinement with those of the draft gear, whereby a most effective cooperation of these springs in absorbing shocks is secured witho-ut the production of unnecessary or unduly great strains being placed uponlany of the parts of the device.

The device shown in the drawings represents but a single embodiment of this inven tion -and should be understood to be merely an example of how the invention may be incorporated in a structure of this character.

I claim: l

l. In a draft and bufiing mechanism, the combination with a draw-bar, of a casting secured thereto having laterally open pockets in its sides, buffer-springs in said poclrets, a buffer-plate, and connections between said buffer-plate and springs.

2. In a draft and bufling' mechanism, the combination with an angularly movable draw-bar, of a buffer-supporting frame supported thereby. a buffer plate, and stems for said plate, said stems being supported at their forward ends by said frame.

3. In a draft and buiiing mechanism, the. combination with a draw -bar pivotally mounted in advance of the draft-rigging, of a buffer-supporting frame supported by the draw-bar or an extension thereof, a buffer plate, and stems for said plate, said stems being supported at their forward ends by said frame. Y

FREDERICK S. GALLAGHER.

Vitnesses WM. K. DioiiERsoN, CHARLES Gr. VALKER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

